Ligament or tendon state display method by shear wave propagation speed estimation, and ligament or tendon state display system equipped with the same

Abstract

To perform an evaluation in a motor function examination of a motor function tissue in a specific part of a living thing or an evaluation on which muscle or on which part of a muscle a problem is occurring.SOLUTION: A ligament state display method is composed of: a vibrator for pressing a living body surface of a predetermined part of a living thing and applying a constant vibration to a "motor function tissue," which is a living body tissue related to a motor function around a joint of a living thing; a measuring probe for pressing a probe surface against a living body surface in the vicinity of the living body surface of the predetermined part while applying a constant vibration to the motor function tissue, and continuously measuring a transmission speed of a mechanical vibration wave transmitted in the motor function tissue in a predetermined depth from the living body surface by probe type ultrasonic wave transmission and reception; an imaging processing device for subjecting shear wave data by the measuring device to imaging processing by a C-SWE method and storing and outputting / displaying the data; and a processing device for continuously storing the video of the shear wave data subjected to imaging processing, and digitizing an amount of change for hardness information of a plurality of kinds of motor function tissues specified around the predetermined joint in the same or the same kind of living thing by comparing a plurality of stored videos.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a condition display system and evaluation method for measuring the hardness of ligaments and tendons, which are biological tissues related to motor function around the joint structures of a living body (human body or animal), and evaluating the condition and function of the ligaments and tendons, which are biological functional materials, in examining this motor function using the results of the measurement of the hardness of this biological tissue to examine the motor function including the target biological tissue (the function of muscles and nerve transmission that causes movement in joint structures such as the shoulder, elbow, and knee).

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a status display system and evaluation method that uses a vibrator applied to biological tissue to vibrate specific biological tissues involved in motor functions such as muscles, tendons, and tendons that move the joint structures of living organisms (hereinafter referred to as "motor function tissues" in this invention) at a specific frequency to generate mechanical vibration waves, and while these vibration waves are being generated, an ultrasonic probe is pressed against the surface of the living organism to calculate the propagation speed of the mechanical vibration waves (transverse waves) that travel through the motor function tissue by estimating the shear wave propagation speed, and also visualizes the calculation results, thereby outputting the biological hardness of the motor function tissue as a measurement result, thereby evaluating the state and function of the motor function tissue (muscles, muscles that cause movement, nerve transmission function), and the like. [Background technology]

[0003] There is a demand for quantitative measurement of skeletal muscle stiffness and changes in various settings, such as physical therapy in rehabilitation, massage therapy, and training in sports medicine. In relation to this, there is also a need to measure the motor function of the musculoskeletal system that moves joints, etc. For example, conventional methods for evaluating the function of the musculoskeletal system of living organisms have been to measure indexes of limit load movements using a grip strength device or to measure muscle strength during posture changes under muscle load using a dynamometer.

[0004] However, these conventional measurements only indirectly evaluate the function of the loading movement that occurs as a result of the contraction of multiple muscles, and it is not possible to determine which muscle or which part of the muscle is impaired. Furthermore, the condition of tendons and ligaments could only be determined indirectly through images such as MRI or the occurrence of inflammation.

[0005] In response to the demand for quantitative evaluation of skeletal muscle stiffness in living organisms and for the results to be used in rehabilitation, massage, and training effectiveness assessment, effective treatment, and the formulation of training plans, the CD-SWI method, a method for visualizing biological stiffness, was developed. Doppler Shear Wave Using imaging may be an option, but in this case, it will be necessary to incorporate the CD-SWI method into a small, portable echo device that can be used in the field (tablet echo: a device that performs ultrasound diagnosis by incorporating electronic circuits and a CPU into the probe and connecting it to a tablet or PC) rather than a large ultrasound diagnostic device.

[0006] WO2015 / 151972 (see Patent Document 1) has disclosed an ultrasound imaging method for imaging the biological tissue of a living body (human or animal) using ultrasound. In this disclosure, a puncture needle is pressed against the body surface near the measurement site to vibrate the biological cells at the puncture site, and an ultrasound echo device is used to image the propagation speed of mechanical vibration waves (transverse waves) traveling through the biological tissue.

[0007] In this device, an exciter that imparts minute vibrations to the puncture needle is installed, and the probe receives echo signals that are influenced by the Doppler effect of the puncture needle vibrated by this exciter, thereby allowing the movement of the inner needle protruding from the outer needle of the puncture needle to be recognized.

[0008] Here, the image generating means displays, on the display means, an image of the tissue that is expected to be collected from the collection site if the inner needle were to protrude from the outer needle just before the inner needle of the puncture needle is inserted into the collection site. According to the document, prior to collecting tissue from the collection site, it is possible to predict which part of the collection site will be collected simply by looking at the display means, and to reliably collect the desired tissue. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] WO2015 / 151972A1 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] However, the tablet ultrasound device described in the above-mentioned document 1 merely quantitatively evaluates the stiffness of the skeletal muscles of a living organism, and does not evaluate the motor function of a specific part of the living organism's motor function tissue in a motor function test. Also, as mentioned above, the measurement of the index of the limit load movement using a conventional exercise machine such as a grip strength device, and the measurement of muscle strength during posture changes under muscle load using a dynamometer only indirectly evaluate the function of the load movement that occurs as a whole of contractions of multiple muscles, and it is not possible to evaluate which muscle or which part of the muscle is impaired.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for objectively displaying the condition of a specific ligament or tendon, which is a motor function tissue at a specific location in a living organism, together with numerical values ​​or images, and identifying the condition of each tissue, such as damage, partial tear, stress level, inflammation, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following measures: However, in the following description, the numbers or letters following the names of the components are symbols added for the convenience of understanding the drawings, and are not intended to limit the concept, shape, or structure of the components.

[0013] (1) The method for indicating the condition of a ligament or tendon according to the present invention comprises: a step of pressing an ultrasonic measuring device against the surface of a specific ligament or tendon around a joint of a living body, acquiring shear ultrasonic information of the ligament at a predetermined depth as needed, and displaying a shear image of the specific ligament in real time; Identifying or estimating the shear wave velocity and shear wave amplitude to the ultrasound measurement device by applying vibration from a surface near the end of the specific ligament extension; a step of displaying the identified or estimated shear wave propagation velocity and amplitude as a two-dimensional map using a transparent color bar overlaid on the shear screen; and a step of saving each of the superimposed display images or their changes before and after the passage of continuous and intermittent time, characterized in that the estimation is performed by a least squares error method using a linear function model. The method is preferably carried out using the following status indication system: The status display system is a status display system for ligaments or tendons, which are biological functional tissues around a specific joint of a living body. This status display system is a vibrator that applies a constant vibration to the "motor function tissue," which is a biological tissue involved in the motor function around the joints of the living body, by pressing it against the surface of the living body at a predetermined location; an ultrasonic probe as a measuring instrument that applies a constant vibration to the motor function tissue, presses a probe surface on a probe surface of the living body surface near the vibration location, and continuously measures the propagation speed of mechanical vibration waves (transverse waves) that travel through the motor function tissue at a predetermined depth from the pressed probe surface on the living body surface by sending and receiving ultrasonic waves in a probe type; A visualization device that visualizes shear wave data at each depth from the probe surface of the living body surface acquired by an ultrasound probe (measuring device) using the C-SWE method, stores it, and displays it as an output. The system is composed of a processing device that continuously stores images of the visualized shear wave data, and compares multiple stored images to quantify the amount of change in stiffness information of multiple types of motor function tissues (including muscles, tendons, and ligaments) identified around a specified joint in the same or similar living organism.

[0014] (2) The method for displaying the condition of a ligament or tendon further includes a step of moving a joint to move an indirect structure including the ligament or tendon being measured, thereby varying the degree of extension or compression of the ligament or tendon, and comparing and displaying the results before and after the state.

[0015] The condition display system of the present invention performs each step of the ligament or tendon symptom condition display method in order, and outputs an evaluation result of the motor function of the living body by measuring the hardness of the measurement target tissue, which is a specific motor function tissue among muscles, tendons, and ligaments among the biological tissues around a specific joint of a specific living body, and by quantifying and visualizing the measurement data, the condition display system: The processing device identifies one or more points among the corners or centers of the outer edge of a skeletal muscle or bone in a specified joint to which the tissue to be measured is connected as joint-specific points, co-stores the image data obtained by the visualization process in a state where it is superimposed on the joint-specific points, and uses the joint-specific points as reference points when comparing multiple images.

[0016] (3) The motor function tissues at predetermined locations of a specific living body before and after exercise are defined as the first evaluation target tissue and the second evaluation target tissue, respectively; The vibrations caused by the vibrator and the propagation speed of the mechanical vibration waves caused by the measurement probe are measured, and the shear wave data of the first evaluation target tissue and the second evaluation target tissue are saved as first image data and second image data, respectively, and the first image data and the second image data are compared to analyze the differences in the shape and hardness of the motor function tissue based on one or more points that are the outline of the shape of a skeletal muscle or bone at the end or distal side of the end in a specific direction of the motor function tissue and have a shape element common to each image data, and the joint specific points are used as reference points. 2. The status display system according to claim 1.

[0017] (4) The joint specific points of each image data are compared to identify the biological tissue information around the joint and the key positions (the center of the joint cavity or the articular cartilage) of each biological tissue information, and the elasticity information or elasticity change information of the identified multiple key positions is indexed, and comparable image data from among the image data acquired at multiple time periods is compared, 2. The status display system according to claim 1, wherein the results of comparing indices of elasticity information or elasticity change information based on the base position of each biological tissue around a joint are displayed together with a comparison of consecutive images.

[0018] (5) Before and after the exercise, before and after the load is applied or the posture is changed, the video data of the motor function tissue around the joint at a specific location is saved together with the acquired time data and the input code data. The processing device The status display system of claim 1, which compares video data before and after exercise, and before and after applying load or changing posture, to obtain information on changes in elasticity at each location around a specific joint, and uses video analysis to evaluate which type of motor function tissue around a joint, i.e., muscle, tendon, ligament, cartilage, and synovium, is experiencing damage or load in which location, or which muscle is experiencing damage or high load in which location. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The ligament or tendon condition display system provided by the present invention can be used to evaluate the motor function of a specific part of a living organism in a motor function test, or to evaluate which muscle or which part of a muscle is impaired. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a ligament or tendon condition display system including a biological hardness measurement processing program according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing the basic concept and application examples of a biological stiffness measurement processing program according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic functional configuration of a device and a processing device of the biological stiffness measurement processing program of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific functional configuration of a biological stiffness measurement processing program according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a first frame image processing example of the biological stiffness measurement processing program of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a second frame image processing example of the biological stiffness measurement processing program of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of calculation based on a frame image of the biological stiffness measurement processing program of the embodiment. [Figure 8a] 10 is a display example of image data including a velocity image (image of stiffness) of the ligament or tendon status display system of the embodiment. [Figure 8b] 10 is a display example of image data including a propagation image (image of elasticity within tissue) of the ligament or tendon status display system of the embodiment. [Figure 9a] 10 is a display example of video data including a propagation image of a measurement ROI (region of interest) in the ligament or tendon status display system of the embodiment. [Figure 9b] 10 is an example of an evaluation output using a propagation velocity-depth graph from the ligament or tendon condition display system of the embodiment. [Figure 10] An example of the measurement state (left) and an example of the image data display (right) of the ligament or tendon state display system of the embodiment. [Figure 11]Examples of image data showing tendon stiffness (left) and cartilage ligament stiffness (right) from the ligament or tendon condition display system of the embodiment. [Figure 12] The base point (joint center) and (joint specific point) in the structural model of the joint (locomotor system) [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing steps of a shear wave propagation velocity estimation method in the status display method of the present invention. [Figure 14] Example color images of shear wave phase in a small area before and after approximation using the least squares error method. [Figure 15] Example of a graph showing data selection due to plane approximation error of shear wave phase. [Figure 16] 10 is a simulation graph showing the amplitude estimation accuracy of the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention. [Figure 17] Examples of velocity, phase, and propagation images reconstructed from shear wave images using conventional methods. [Figure 18] 1 is a graph comparing output values ​​of shear wave propagation velocity between a conventional method and the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention. [Figure 19] 1 is a graph comparing the noise resistance of shear wave propagation velocity between a conventional method and the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention. [Figure 20] Example of tip wave velocity measurement to indicate the condition of the medial elbow ligament. [Figure 21] An example of a B-mode image taken with an ultrasound probe showing the condition of the medial elbow ligament. [Figure 22] 22 is a display example of a superimposed image in which a shear wave image obtained by the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention is superimposed on the image of FIG. 21. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is a system for evaluating the motor function of a living body by measuring the hardness of biological tissues (muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments) around a specific joint and converting the measurement data into digital data and visualizing it.

[0022] Specifically, from the video data of a specific living body before and after exercise, biological tissue information around the joints and key position information of each biological tissue information are identified, and the elasticity information or elasticity change information of the identified multiple key position information is indexed, and comparable video data obtained at multiple time periods are compared with each other, The results of comparing indices of elasticity information or elasticity change information at multiple key positions of each biological tissue around one joint are displayed together with a comparison of consecutive images.

[0023] By obtaining information on changes in elasticity at each location around a specific joint before and after exercise, or before and after applying load or changing posture, it is possible to use video analysis to evaluate which parts of which muscles in which biological tissues (muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments) are experiencing damage or high loads.

[0024] The biological stiffness measurement system of Example 1 of the present invention shown in Figure 1 is composed of a biological stiffness measurement processing program 1 equipped with heat dissipation fins, a vibration excitation device 2 that applies vibration, an adjuster A that can synchronize the vibration frequency, a display device HD that displays the propagation speed detected by the probe in two dimensions, a processing terminal 4 that stores and saves data, and a monitor M.

[0025] 2 to 4 show the external shape and internal structure of the biological stiffness measuring device of Example 1, which is part of the measurement system. In the center of Fig. 4, a combined substrate in which small substrates are stacked with a gap between them is shown, wrapped around a heat-conducting metal foil. Fig. 5 is a further exploded view of the combined substrate.

[0026] Figure 6 shows a state in which a connecting jig having one vibrator holder and a pair of second heat dissipation fins is attached to the biological stiffness measurement system of Example 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4. The disk-shaped protrusions seen on the right side of the front view (a) and bottom view (b) of Figure 6 are the vibrating parts of the vibrator.

[0027] (1) A system for displaying the status of biological functional tissue (musculoskeletal system) around a specified joint of a living organism, comprising: a vibrator that applies a constant vibration to the motor function tissue, which is biological tissue involved in the motor function around the joint of the living organism, by pressing it against the biological surface at a specified location; a measurement probe that applies a constant vibration to the motor function tissue while pressing the probe surface against the biological surface near the biological surface at the specified location, and continuously measures the propagation speed of mechanical vibration waves (transverse waves) that travel through the motor function tissue at a specified depth from the biological surface by probe-type ultrasonic transmission and reception; a visualization device that visualizes shear wave data from the measuring instrument using the C-SWE method and stores, outputs, and displays the data; and a processing device that continuously stores images of the visualized shear wave data and compares multiple saved images to quantify the amount of change in hardness information of multiple types of motor function tissue (including muscles, tendons, and ligaments) specified around a specified joint in the same or similar living organism.

[0028] (2) In any of the above status display systems, A status display system that outputs an evaluation result of the motor function of a specific living body by measuring the hardness of a specific motor function tissue among muscles, tendons, and ligaments among biological tissues around a specific joint of the specific living body, and by quantifying and visualizing the measurement data, The processing device identifies one or more points among the corners or centers of the outer edge of a skeletal muscle or bone in a specified joint to which the tissue to be measured is connected as joint-specific points, co-stores the image data obtained by the visualization process in a state where it is superimposed on the joint-specific points, and uses the joint-specific points as reference points when comparing multiple images.

[0029] (3) In any of the above status display systems, The motor function tissues at predetermined locations of a specific living body before and after exercise are designated as evaluation target tissues 1 and 2, respectively; The vibration caused by the vibrator and the propagation velocity of the mechanical vibration wave caused by the measurement probe are measured by the visualization device, and each shear wave data of the tissues 1 and 2 to be evaluated is saved as each image data 1 and 2, and each image data 1 and 2 are compared to determine that one or more points having a shape element common to each image data 1 and 2 are the outline of the shape of a skeletal muscle or bone at the end or distal end of a motor function tissue in a specific direction, and are the joint specific point.

[0030] (4) Any of the above-mentioned status display systems of the present invention compares the joint specific points included in each image data, identifies the joint specific points that identify the biological tissue information around the specific joint (information on biological tissues including joints, synovial membranes, and joint capsules in addition to motor function tissues) and characteristic parts of the shape of each biological tissue information, and uses the identified joint specific points as key points common to each image data, and indexes the coordinates around the key points, information on changes in bone position before and after movement, and information on elasticity or elastic change in the specific motor function tissue included in the biological tissue information, and compares comparable image data from among the image data at multiple different times, The method is characterized in that the results of comparing indices of elasticity information or elasticity change information based on the base position of each biological tissue around one joint are displayed together with a comparison of consecutive images.

[0031] 12 is a model diagram showing the base point (the center point of the glenoid cavity or articular cartilage) of an elbow joint or the joint structure around the base point. In this model diagram, multiple joint-specific points are assigned to the outer shape of the upper end of the lower bone, and the center of the bone width direction on the image closest to the center of the bone is assigned as the base point.

[0032] In this way, by identifying biological tissue information around a specific joint (information on biological tissue including joints, synovial membranes, and joint capsules in addition to motor function tissue) and specific joint points that identify characteristic parts of the shape of each biological tissue information, and assigning the identified specific joint points as key points common to each video data, it is possible to index the coordinates around the key points and information on changes in bone position before and after movement, as well as the elasticity information or elasticity change information of the specific motor function tissue included in the biological tissue information, in multiple video data.

[0033] For example, even if the positional relationship of the bones and the direction of the center line change due to a change in the bending angle of the joint, by using the base point and specific joint points as the basis for overlaying the data, it is possible to track and recognize changes in the shape of the surrounding motor function tissues such as tendons and ligaments.

[0034] The functional integrity of the motor function tissue is evaluated based on one or more of the following: changes in elasticity based on stiffness indexes, changes in volume based on length and width measurements, and changes in curvature at each position of the central curve in the longitudinal direction of the motor function tissue, by comparing before and after a change in posture, before and after applying load to the musculoskeletal system, and before and after changes in the elasticity of the motor function tissue due to exercise.

[0035] Here, the evaluation of the functional integrity of the motor function tissue is evaluated by adding points to the following: the change in elasticity relative to adjacent change positions at each position along the length of the tissue structure, i.e., the rate of change, is within a certain range (for example, within 30%); the outer shape is smooth and the rate of change in the slope of the outer curve is within a certain range (for example, 20% or less); and the dispersion of hardness data within the motor function tissue area is used to estimate the presence of missing parts such as chipped or cracked parts, the presence of damaged parts such as depressions or holes, and the presence of parts with a large change in elasticity that are more solidified than the surrounding tissue structures.

[0036] For example, the evaluation results are expressed as a numerical value out of a total of 100 points, with each of the five elements being given a maximum score of 20 points, and these are added or subtracted to give a total score of 100. Alternatively, the evaluation results are shown by overlaying oval shapes surrounding areas or coloring areas in the image where there is high hardness data or where there is significant change in shape, such as defects.

[0037] (5) Before and after the exercise, before and after the load is applied or the posture is changed, the video data of the motor function tissue around the joint at a specific location is saved together with the acquired time data and the input code data. The processing device By comparing video data before and after exercise, and before and after applying load or changing posture, and obtaining information on changes in elasticity at each location around a specific joint, video analysis can be used to evaluate which parts of which muscles in which biological tissues (muscles, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments) are experiencing damage or high loads.

[0038] (An attachment that can be attached to the head of an ultrasound probe) a first attachment that can be attached to a head portion of the ultrasonic probe; a second attachment for holding a vibrator that applies mechanical vibration to a surface of a living body, In the transmitting and receiving direction of the probe probe of the ultrasonic probe attached by the first attachment, than the probe surface of the ultrasonic probe attached by the first attachment, The vibrator of the vibrator held by the second attachment is protruded by a predetermined preset value of protrusion amount, and A biological stiffness measurement processing program capable of maintaining the distance between the probe surface and the oscillator at a constant value within a predetermined preset range.

[0039] In order to mechanically vibrate biological tissue using an oscillator, it is necessary to transmit the vibration to tissues below the epidermis and subcutaneous fat layers on the surface of the body. By protruding the oscillator from the surface of the body using the above-mentioned means, it is possible to apply pressure to the skin on the surface of the body, maintaining the surface tissue in a compressed state with high vibration propagation efficiency, while reliably vibrating the biological tissue mechanically. Furthermore, by maintaining a certain distance from the excitation point that is not too far, it is possible to reliably obtain the vibration propagation velocity at any measurement point within a range of approximately 10 cm from the epidermis of the vibrating biological tissue.

[0040] (Cushioning material for the second attachment) a first attachment having an insertion frame into which a head portion of an ultrasonic probe can be inserted from a side periphery; a second attachment that holds a vibrator that applies mechanical vibration to a living body surface in the holding hole and at a tip of the holding hole, The vibrator is fixed to the inner surface and tip surface of the holding hole of the second attachment with a buffer material interposed between the base and tip of the vibrator.

[0041] the first attachment has a fitting frame having a tapered frame hole into which a head of an ultrasonic probe is fitted, the second attachment has a holding hole that receives and holds a columnar vibration base of the vibration exciter, The present invention is also characterized in that an adjustment connection portion is provided between the first attachment and the second attachment, which allows sliding adjustment of the positional relationship between the tapered frame hole and the holding hole in the hole axis direction.

[0042] The adjustable connecting portion maintains the retaining hole axis in a parallel or inclined direction approaching the front side in relation to the frame hole axial direction of the fitting frame, and maintains the retaining hole at an arbitrary set protrusion amount so that it protrudes a predetermined set amount further forward than the tapered frame hole.

[0043] the first attachment has a fitting frame having a tapered frame hole into which a head of an ultrasonic probe is fitted, the second attachment has a holding hole that receives and holds a columnar vibration base of the vibration exciter, The present invention is also characterized in that an adjustable connecting portion is provided between the first attachment and the second attachment, which allows bending and adjustment of the angular relationship between the tapered frame hole and the holding hole in the hole axis direction. The adjustable connecting portion maintains the retaining hole so that it protrudes a predetermined set amount further forward than the tapered frame hole, and in relation to the frame hole axis direction of the fitting frame, the retaining hole axis is maintained at an arbitrary set angle so that it faces parallel or in a direction inclined at an arbitrary angle toward the forward side (relative to the frame hole axis direction of the fitting frame).

[0044] The tapered frame hole of the first attachment and the holding hole of the second attachment have one or more slits formed on the inner surface of the hole, which are characterized by being in an elastically deformed state when the ultrasonic probe is inserted or the vibrator is held and housed. The natural vibration frequency can be adjusted, and resonance can be prevented.

[0045] (Connecting jig) The biological stiffness measurement processing program described above is characterized in that it further comprises a protruding piece that protrudes parallel to the transmitting and receiving surface of the probe so that the transmitting and receiving unit of the probe maintains a constant angle approximately perpendicular to the scanning surface. Also, it is characterized in that the tapered frame hole of the first attachment and the holding hole of the second attachment are formed as a continuous space without a partition on one side and the other side of one frame hole, and are deformable and adjustable by external force and maintain the adjusted deformed state.

[0046] The objective is to develop a noise reduction technology that can obtain images of biological tissue stiffness using the CD-SWI method even with ultrasound diagnostic equipment that produces a lot of noise. In noise reduction processing, it is important to focus on the time and frequency characteristics of the original signal obtained by the ultrasound diagnostic equipment that are specific to the CD-SWI method, and to extract and emphasize only the signals that have these characteristics. This invention actively utilizes the characteristic of the original signal in stiffness images obtained by the CD-SWI method, that "the excitation to excite shear waves in biological tissue is performed with a continuous sine wave of a specific frequency." Specifically, we have developed a Moving Target Inversion (MTI) that is specialized for sine wave excitation. By introducing noise reduction technology specialized for sinusoidal excitation, which includes two methods: a Target Indicator (Target Indicator) filter and flow velocity estimation specialized for sinusoidal excitation, it is possible to obtain stiffness images and perform quantitative measurements of stiffness even with a biostiffness measurement processing program with high noise, such as a tablet-type biostiffness measurement processing program.

[0047] For example, a control device 2 connected in parallel to two detection devices P1 and P2 by wire includes a memory unit R, a processing device M2, and an input device I2, and signals corresponding to the channels of each receiver are connected to the processing device 1 by a cable C. The processing device 1 is provided with a switch S, an adjustment device V, a speaker, and locking units for the detection devices P1 and P2, and is connected to the processing device M1 and input device I by wire or wirelessly.

[0048] A vibrating transducer (S) excites shear waves in biological tissue, which propagate through the tissue. At the same time, an ultrasound probe (P) transmits ultrasound waves. The ultrasound waves reflected from the tissue and received by the ultrasound probe exhibit a slightly modulated frequency due to the Doppler effect caused by the excitation. The transducer is equipped with an amplifier, an oscillator, and a control device that determines the oscillation frequency. The signal obtained by the ultrasound probe is processed and saved as video data by an imaging device. After quadrature detection, the signal is input as an IQ signal to a processing device (AW) such as a PC or tablet. The present invention relates to noise reduction technology incorporated into this processing device. The final image is displayed by a processing device (W).

[0049] (Biofunctional tissue (musculoskeletal system) evaluation program) The evaluation program for biological functional tissue (musculoskeletal system) of the present invention comprises any one of the above biological stiffness measurement processing programs for acquiring probe data without contact, and an evaluation device for analyzing and evaluating the acquired probe data. The biological stiffness measurement processing program in this biological functional tissue (musculoskeletal system) evaluation program method is used to test the stiffness of locomotor function tissues related to joint function, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments, as well as to detect joint capsules, synovial membranes, glenoid fossa, and articular cartilage.

[0050] The biological hardness measurement processing program includes: an acquisition unit for vibration propagation velocity data by a head unit of an ultrasonic probe; an A / D conversion unit for the propagation velocity data acquired by the acquisition unit; A measurement processing program including a calculation unit that calculates data after A / D conversion of propagation velocity data and converts it into visualization data, and a memory unit that stores the visualization data, The calculation unit continuously acquires image frames consisting of one B-mode image followed by 16 color Doppler images at each unit time and overwrites and saves them in a memory unit within a set range, and is characterized by having a continuous analysis unit that analyzes the acquired image set using a unit image set of 18 to 31 images including one B-mode image.

[0051] The biological hardness measurement processing program A first analysis unit is continuously provided for analyzing the acquired image set using a unit image set of 18 to 31 images including one B-mode image, A biological stiffness measurement processing program, characterized by having a second analysis unit that has a series of acquired image sets that are shifted from the first analysis unit by an amount of shift of 18 to 31 images.

[0052] The biological stiffness measurement processing program is characterized in that the acquired ultrasonic data is aspherical data.

[0053] The present invention stores image data of the motor function tissue around a specific joint before and after exercise, before and after applying load or changing posture, together with the acquired time data and input code data, The processing device The system compares video data before and after exercise, and before and after applying load or changing posture, and outputs an evaluation result of the functional health of the motor function tissue based on one or more of the following: changes in elasticity based on stiffness indexes, changes in volume based on length and width measurements, and changes in curvature at each position of the central curve in the longitudinal direction of the motor function tissue.

[0054] The evaluation results are shown by quantifying or displaying in text an explanatory text or as an image which motor function tissue that controls the movement of a musculoskeletal system of a specific living organism is impaired when viewed from the joint center.

[0055] The tendons and ligaments in a musculoskeletal system are subject to passive forces from external muscles, controlling posture changes and movement relative to the muscles. While muscles can only contract, tendons and ligaments can stretch and contract. Stretching or contracting tendons and ligaments generate muscle reaction forces. Taking this into consideration, by detecting changes in elasticity during tendon and ligament stretching (how much the elasticity of each motor function tissue increases as a result of stretching) and comparing these changes before and after exercise, or during relaxation and contraction, it is possible to evaluate whether the musculoskeletal system is receiving external forces and whether the ligaments are stretching and generating muscle reaction forces. Based on this, it is possible to output evaluation results such as the health of motor function tissue units and the risk of injury.

[0056] For example, measurements are taken of the locomotor system around a specific joint of a specific living individual before and after posture changes (whether or not there is extension and flexion), muscle loading (whether or not there is weight loading), and a specific period of walking, running, sports competition, or other exercise, to obtain video data on the surface elasticity and internal elasticity of the locomotor function tissue. By comparing these data before and after and measuring the amount and rate of change in elasticity, it is possible to evaluate which parts of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments are functioning normally and which parts of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments are functioning abnormally, based on numerical or positional elements.

[0057] When displaying the evaluation results, together with or in addition to the numerical value of the evaluation results or the explanatory text, it is also possible to display video data of before and after a change in posture, before and after applying load to the musculoskeletal system, and before and after the elasticity of the motor function tissue changes due to exercise as first video data and second video data, either as an overlaid display with transparency, or as an animated video display with continuous changes.

[0058] The evaluation of the functional integrity of motor function tissue is based on the following points: the change in elasticity relative to adjacent change positions at each position along the length of the tissue structure, i.e., the rate of change, is within a certain range (for example, within 30%); the outer shape is smooth and the rate of change in the slope of the outer curve is within a certain range (for example, 20% or less); and the dispersion of hardness data within the motor function tissue area indicates the presence of missing parts such as chips or cracks, the presence of damaged parts such as depressions or holes, and the presence of parts with a large change in elasticity that are more solidified than the surrounding tissue structures.

[0059] For example, Figure 8a shows an example of video data displaying shear waves at various depth positions from the surface of a living body where an ultrasound probe is pressed. The shaded area specified to the right of the center of the video data represents the ROI (Region of Interest) where propagation velocity analysis was performed using velocity image ROIs as a means of quantifying the elasticity of the living tissue within that area, and the shade indicates the velocity at each point. The velocity values ​​within this ROI are displayed as numerical values ​​after statistical processing in the lower left.

[0060] The left side of Figure 8a shows the image mode selection display for switching between image modes. In addition to the "velocity image" of Figure 8a, it is possible to switch to the "propagation image" of Figure 8b or a "propagation direction image" (not shown) that displays the propagation direction. Figure 8b is a propagation image in which areas of the same velocity range are displayed as a striped pattern in contour lines, and it shows a two-dimensional image of the elastic structure within the tissue. Areas in the propagation image where the propagation stripe pattern is compressed and narrow can be assumed to be areas of adhesion or fixation with muscles.

[0061] Furthermore, by using a processing device to measure elasticity changes at high resolution using the least squares error method, it is now possible to measure even extremely high shear wave velocities in motor function tissues such as tendons and ligaments, making it possible to measure even areas where the motor function tissue has become extremely stiff due to, for example, weight loading or changes in posture.

[0062] Figure 9a shows the ROI regions after dividing the measurement area into multiple micro ROIs (ROIs with horizontally elongated shapes along the fibers) and estimating the propagation velocity for each micro ROI region using the least squares error method. The region enclosed by the second to fifth dotted lines from the top within the frame corresponds to the medial collateral ligament of the elbow. As shown on the right side of Figure 9a, the downward direction of the vertical axis corresponds to the depth from the surface of the body.

[0063] Figure 9b is a graph showing the quantification of the shear wave velocity of the medial collateral ligament of the elbow shown in Figure 9a. The shear wave velocity is high around depths of 13.5 to 14.5, indicating that there are stiffened areas. In this way, the elastic state of the human body can be quantified by performing a quantification process, and the state of the motor function tissue, such as damage or rupture of the tendon, can be estimated.

[0064] Figure 10 shows an example of the usage status of the vibrator and ultrasound probe in this status display system, and an example of the output video data. The image on the right of Figure 10 shows a velocity image obtained by measuring the area around the skeletal muscle of the biceps brachii with a measurement time of 3.5 seconds and a resolution of 10 mm, using a mark placed on the surface of the living body near the medial elbow joint as a reference point.

[0065] Figure 11 shows an example of the image output for evaluating tendon stiffness with a required resolution of 3-5 mm (left), and for evaluating cartilage and human body stiffness with a required resolution of 1-2 mm (right), obtained by using C-SWE to process this image data to increase resolution, speed up imaging, and enhance functionality.

[0066] High-resolution, high-precision processing is possible with inexpensive equipment, and real-time elasticity measurement has made it possible to perform highly accurate functional diagnostic evaluations of motor function tissues.

[0067] In particular, by changing the measurement depth of the probe, it is possible to estimate not only the surface hardness of the motor function tissue but also the hardness inside the tissue. By comparing the changes in surface hardness and internal hardness of the motor function tissue in the same location of the same living body with images taken before and after a period or time, it is possible to estimate ligament inflammation and damage, tendon rupture, muscle rupture, as well as their precursors and the presence or absence of internal bleeding. It is also possible to estimate the condition and function of the muscles that cause the movement of joint structures.

[0068] The method for displaying the condition of a ligament or tendon according to the present invention uses an approximation step using the least squares error method and a shear wave velocity estimation step using the approximation error of the planar approximation as a threshold, which is a shear wave velocity estimation method unique to the present invention. Specifically, the method is performed by the steps shown in FIG. 13.

[0069] The most important steps in Figure 13 are: a step of pressing an ultrasonic measuring device against the surface of a specific ligament or tendon around a joint of a living body, acquiring shear ultrasonic information of the ligament at a predetermined depth as needed, and displaying a shear image of the specific ligament in real time; Identifying or estimating the shear wave velocity and shear wave amplitude to the ultrasound measurement device by applying vibration from a surface near the end of the specific ligament extension; a step of displaying the identified or estimated shear wave propagation velocity and amplitude as a two-dimensional map using a transparent color bar overlaid on the shear screen; and a step of storing each of the superimposed display images or changes therein before and after the continuous and intermittent time lapses.

[0070] Among the flows in Figure 13, the first to third flows are a displacement signal derivation step of deriving an in-vivo displacement signal from a Doppler signal acquired by an ultrasonic probe, a Fourier analysis step of performing Fourier analysis on the displacement signal using excitation frequency components, and a shear wave phase derivation step of deriving the phase of a shear wave from the phase of the Fourier analysis spectrum, respectively.

[0071] 13, the fourth flow is a plane approximation step of the shear phase using the least squares error method. This step sets minute regions A1 to A10 at each depth or each region width by the ROI, and approximates the two-dimensional distribution of the shear wave phase in each minute region with a plane wave.

[0072] As shown in the left figure of Figure 14, the actual measured values ​​vary. By approximating this using the least squares error method with the following linear function model, it is possible to represent the shear waves propagating in a plane, as shown in the right figure of Figure 14.

[0073] This can be seen as filtering the measured propagation velocity, and the estimated coefficients allow the x and y components of the shear wave wave number to be calculated. <Linear function model> ψ e (x,z)=a0(x,z)+a x (x,z)x+a z (x, z)z Through this, the shear wave velocity can be estimated as follows: <Estimation formula for estimated shear rate> v(x, z)=k / (2πf b )

[0074] When we simulated the error due to the above-mentioned plane approximation, most of the values ​​were within an 80% error range at depths of 7 mm or more, as shown in Figure 15. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, at a propagation speed of 3 m / s, the set amplitude and estimated amplitude were nearly synchronized, and only a decrease in amplitude was observed with a deviation of 2 to 4% at 40 to 50 μm.

[0075] Based on the above simulation results, the shear wave velocity estimation method of the present invention includes a planar approximation step of the two-dimensional distribution of shear wave phases using the least squares error method, followed by an adaptive selection step of comparing the approximation error of the planar approximation with a preset threshold and selecting cases where the approximation error is lower than the threshold, followed by a wavenumber derivation step of deriving the shear wave wavenumber for the associated microregion using the coefficients of the planar approximation (sixth flow in FIG. 13). Then, a propagation velocity derivation step (seventh flow in FIG. 13) of deriving the shear wave propagation velocity from the wavenumber of the shear wave derived in the wavenumber derivation step, and a distribution acquisition step (eighth flow in FIG. 13) of obtaining the propagation velocity distribution by moving the microregion within the ROI (region of interest).

[0076] After going through the above steps, the shear wave propagation velocity of the tendon or ligament is estimated by the least squares error method using a linear function model.

[0077] In addition to the above steps, it is preferable to further include a step of comparatively displaying before and after states in which the degree of extension is varied by moving the joint.

[0078] The right image in Figure 14 shows the pleura as the measurement object. Based on the measured values ​​of the shear wave phase in each of the microregions A1 to A10, which are the measurement objects, an approximation process is performed using the least squares error method, and the shear wave phase after the approximation process is displayed in variable colors according to the color bar.

[0079] FIG. 15 is an example of a graph display showing data selection due to plane approximation error of shear wave phase.

[0080] FIG. 16 is a simulation graph showing the amplitude estimation accuracy of the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention.

[0081] Figure 17 shows examples of velocity, phase, and propagation images reconstructed from shear wave images obtained using the conventional method.

[0082] FIG. 18 is a graph comparing the output values ​​of shear wave velocity between the conventional method and the shear wave velocity estimation method of the present invention.

[0083] FIG. 19 is a graph comparing the noise resistance of the shear wave velocity estimation method of the present invention with the conventional method.

[0084] FIG. 20 shows an example of tip wave velocity measurement for indicating the condition of the medial elbow ligament.

[0085] FIG. 21 shows an example of a B-mode image displayed by an ultrasound probe to display the state of the medial elbow ligament.

[0086] FIG. 22 is an example of a superimposed image display in which a shear wave image obtained by the shear wave propagation velocity estimation method of the present invention is superimposed on the image of FIG.

[0087] By estimating the propagation speed of shear waves in living organisms, symptoms of ligaments or tendons (damage, partial tear or stress level, inflammation) can be identified, and the state of biological functions (bones, joint structures of the human body, muscles that cause movement, and nerve transmission functions) can be identified in motor function tests.

[0088] When measuring tendons and ligaments, it is necessary to estimate the shear wave propagation velocity and shear wave amplitude with high resolution in the depth direction. This is done using a high-resolution shear wave velocity estimation method, which approximates the shear wave phase as an inclined plane for each microscopic region using the least squares error method, and then estimates the shear wave propagation velocity from the inclination.

[0089] In addition, by comparing measurement images of ligaments and tendons with different degrees of extension or displaying them in parallel, changes in elasticity can be displayed as a video.

[0090] By estimating the propagation velocity as an elastic solution of biological tissue, the degree of stress, damage, and inflammation in the ligament can be displayed as an image.

[0091] In addition to the above, the ultrasonic signals received by each transducer are spectrally analyzed, and through a learned multi-layer neural network analysis, the foreign object is classified into one of several object spectrum models differing in size or hardness, and the classified object spectrum model is displayed on a map with a color or shape that corresponds one-to-one to the classified object spectrum model, creating a map display tailored to the detection surface.By detecting signals by overlapping each of the multiple receivers arranged two-dimensionally with adjacent receivers, the general shape and thickness (depth) of the foreign object can be clearly recognized.

[0092] The shear wave velocity estimation method of the present invention may be used as an index for assessing muscle damage, muscle stiffness, muscle weakening (muscle loss), muscle contracture, and muscle tone in rehabilitation, as an index for preventing traumatic injuries and improving athletic performance in sports medicine, and for assessing sarcopenia to prevent elderly people from needing nursing care (target diseases: general musculoskeletal diseases such as muscle strain and rotator cuff tear, and neuromuscular diseases such as Parkinson's disease and muscular dystrophy). Specifically, the following system configurations are conceivable:

[0093] Muscle strain (muscle contusion) Damage and tearing of fascia and muscle fibers occurs when sudden, unreasonable movements are made during sports. This condition occurs when muscle fibers within the muscle are torn when the muscle contraction force becomes too great. It may also be accompanied by internal bleeding within the muscle. Over time, internal bleeding can lead to the formation of blood clots. (Traditional diagnostic method) Conventional diagnostic methods consist of merely taking a medical history, palpation, and imaging diagnosis using MRI and ultrasound of the area of ​​pain, including depressions and discoloration associated with internal bleeding. By applying continuous shear wave elastography, the system of the present invention can be introduced to quantitatively measure the elasticity of tendons and tendon sheaths, and can also be used to compare the healthy and diseased sides. Indicators used in this case include the shear wave velocity difference (unit: m / s) and velocity ratio (unitless). This system makes it possible to quantitatively diagnose the degree of functional recovery resulting from treatment.

[0094] <System application example using the continuous shear wave elastography technology of the present invention> As an example of a system application using the continuous shear wave elastography technology of the present invention, a system for displaying the state of the following diseases can be constructed.

[0095] This system measures affected or symptomatic biological tissues (muscles) around the musculoskeletal system, including joints, such as ligaments and tendons, as well as muscles, fascia, and joint capsules.The system visualizes the stiffness of the biological tissue as an image of the propagation speed of shear waves over a specified depth range from the measurement surface, and measures the numerical value as the difference (unit: m / s) or ratio (unitless) between the healthy and diseased sides.

[0096] Furthermore, since shear waves do not propagate through liquid, it is possible to measure the location of internal bleeding using the shear wave amplitude (unit: μm) and build a system to display the injection status of myofascial release. Because the amplitude of shear waves becomes 0 in liquid, the area with 0 amplitude is displayed on the image as the injected area.

[0097] Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease is caused by an abnormality in the dopamine nerves in the substantia nigra of the brain, which causes a decrease in the amount of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that controls movement, resulting in impaired body movement.The main symptoms are tremors, bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, and impaired posture (a tendency to fall).The disease is common among elderly people, with approximately 100,000 patients in Japan. Applications of continuous shear wave elastography: The typical symptom of muscle rigidity is measured from the propagation velocity of shear waves, and the results are compared with those of a healthy control group, allowing for a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment.

[0098] Neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy Mutations in genes necessary for muscle formation and maintenance can prevent the production of necessary proteins in muscles or cause muscle dysfunction, resulting in impaired motor function and muscle rigidity due to skeletal muscle disorders. The application system of the continuous shear wave elastography of the present invention can be used for such patients or those suspected of having the disease. Specifically, it can be configured as a neuromuscular disease status display system that measures the rigidity of muscles around joints where symptoms appear using the shear wave propagation velocity for specific patients, and compares the values ​​with those of healthy controls and the condition before and after treatment to quantitatively evaluate the condition.

[0099] Tendon and ligament diseases This device may also be applicable to the diagnostic evaluation of ligament and tendon tears and inflammation. (Targeted conditions: rotator cuff tears, anterior talofibular ligament injuries, joint sprains such as medial collateral ligament injuries, Achilles tendon rupture, and patellar tendonitis)

[0100] Tendon rupture, tendon disorders Movement disorders caused by rupture or damage to tendons such as the Achilles tendon or rotator cuff, resulting in pain and muscle weakness. Traditional diagnostic methods: Diagnosis was made by the presence or absence of pain due to changes in posture, or by imaging diagnostics using MRI, ultrasound, etc. In contrast, the present invention incorporates a means for approximating the shear wave phase to an inclined plane for each minute region using the least squares error method, and estimating the propagation velocity of the shear wave from the inclination using a high-resolution shear wave velocity estimation method, thereby enabling real-time image processing of tissue stiffness by combining the digitization of images acquired by probe probing with the quantification of tissue stiffness by estimating the propagation velocity.

[0101] Applications of continuous shear wave elastography: By measuring changes in tendon elasticity during posture changes from changes in shear wave propagation velocity, it is possible to compare the healthy and diseased sides. Indicators for comparison include the difference in shear wave velocity (unit: m / s) during posture (angle) changes, the velocity ratio (unitless), and the difference in shear wave velocity (unit: m / s) and velocity ratio (unitless) between the healthy and diseased sides. One way this system can be used is as a functional recovery evaluation system for quantitatively diagnosing functional recovery through rehabilitation.

[0102] Ligament rupture, ligament injury There are injuries in which ligaments are partially or completely torn due to overstretching. This type of injury, especially acute sports injuries, is the most common and often re-injured. The main symptoms are internal bleeding, swelling, and pain in the affected area.

[0103] Differences from conventional diagnostic methods In the past, diagnosis was based on physical findings such as tenderness and mobility in stress tests, or simple image diagnosis was performed using echo images. In contrast, the present invention incorporates a high-resolution shear wave velocity estimation method that approximates the shear wave phase as an inclined plane for each micro-region using the least squares error method and estimates the propagation velocity of the shear wave from the inclination. This enables real-time image processing of tissue stiffness by combining the digitization of the image acquired by the probe and the quantification of tissue stiffness by estimating the propagation velocity.

[0104] In addition, by comparing and processing measurement images of ligaments and tendons with different degrees of development or displaying them in parallel, it is now possible to display changes in elasticity as a video.

[0105] In particular, by estimating the propagation velocity as an elastic solution of biological tissue, the stress level, damage level, and inflammation level of the ligament can be continuously displayed along with the stiffness state as continuous real-time images at approximately the same time as the probe measurement time.

[0106] Applications of continuous shear wave elastography: Changes in ligament elasticity during posture changes are measured from changes in shear wave propagation velocity. Comparison is made between the healthy and diseased sides. Indicators include the difference in shear wave velocity (unit: m / s) during posture (angle) changes, the velocity ratio (unitless), the difference in shear wave velocity (unit: m / s) between the healthy and diseased sides, and the velocity ratio (unitless). This allows for quantitative diagnosis of functional recovery through rehabilitation.

[0107] ·Toninitis (tendonitis) Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis is a condition in which the "tendon sheath" around the tendon becomes inflamed, thickens, and hardens, preventing the tendon from moving smoothly. The main cause is overusing the same part of the body during sports or everyday activities.

Claims

1. a step of pressing an ultrasonic measuring device against the surface of a specific ligament or tendon around a joint of a living body, acquiring shear ultrasonic information of the ligament at a predetermined depth as needed, and displaying a shear image of the specific ligament in real time; Identifying or estimating the shear wave velocity and shear wave amplitude to the ultrasound measurement device by applying vibration from a surface near the end of the specific ligament extension; a step of displaying the identified or estimated shear wave propagation velocity and amplitude as a two-dimensional map using a transparent color bar overlaid on the shear screen; A method for displaying the condition of ligaments or tendons, comprising a step of saving each superimposed display image or its changes before and after continuous and intermittent time passage, characterized in that estimation is performed using a least squares error method using a linear function model.

2. The method for displaying the condition of a ligament or tendon as described in claim 1 further comprises a step of moving a joint to move an indirect structure including the ligament or tendon to be measured, thereby varying the degree of extension or compression of the ligament or tendon, and comparing and displaying the results before and after the state.

3. A system for displaying the condition of ligaments or tendons around a specified joint of a living organism, comprising: a vibrator that applies a constant vibration to the "motor function tissue," which is biological tissue involved in the motor function around the joint of the living organism, by pressing it against the surface of the organism at a specified location; a measurement probe that applies a constant vibration to the motor function tissue and presses the probe surface against the surface of the organism near the surface of the organism at the specified location, thereby continuously measuring the propagation speed of mechanical vibration waves that travel through the motor function tissue at a specified depth from the surface of the organism by probe-type ultrasonic transmission and reception; a visualization device that processes, saves, outputs, and displays images of the visualized shear wave data from the measuring instrument; and a processing device that continuously saves images of the visualized shear wave data and compares multiple saved images of hardness information of multiple types of motor function tissue specified around a specified joint in the same or similar living organism to quantify the amount of change.

4. A status display system that outputs an evaluation result of the motor function of a specific living body by measuring the hardness of a specific motor function tissue among muscles, tendons, and ligaments among biological tissues around a specific joint of the specific living body, and by quantifying and visualizing the measurement data, The processing device specifies one or more points among the corners or centers of the outer edge of a skeletal muscle or bone in a predetermined joint to which a measurement target tissue is connected as joint specific points, and stores the image data obtained by the visualization process in a state where the image data is superimposed on the joint specific points, and uses the joint specific points as reference points when comparing multiple images.

4. The system for displaying the state of functional tissues of a living body around a predetermined joint of a living body according to claim 3.

5. The motor function tissues at predetermined locations of a specific living body before and after exercise are defined as a first evaluation target tissue and a second evaluation target tissue, respectively; 5. The system for displaying the status of biological functional tissue around a specified joint of a living organism as described in claim 4, wherein the vibration by the vibrator and the measurement of the propagation velocity of the mechanical vibration wave by the measurement probe and the shear wave data of the first evaluation target tissue and the second evaluation target tissue by the visualization device are saved as first image data and second image data, respectively, and the first image data and the second image data are compared to analyze the differences in the shape and hardness of the biological functional tissue based on one or more points that are the outline of the shape of a skeletal muscle or bone at the end or distal end of the motor function tissue in a specific direction and have a shape element common to each image data, and the joint specific point is used as a reference point.

6. For each piece of video data at different times, Identifying biological tissue information around one joint and a joint specific point that identifies a characteristic part of the shape of each biological tissue information; The identified specific joint point is used as a key point common to each piece of video data, and the coordinates around the key point, the position change information of the bone before and after movement, and the elasticity information or elasticity change information of the specific motor function tissue included in the biological tissue information are indexed, Comparing comparable video data from video data at different times, The system for displaying the status of biological functional tissues around a specified joint of a living body as described in claim 4, characterized in that the comparison results of indices of elasticity information or elasticity change information, based on the base position of each biological tissue around a joint, are displayed together with a comparison of continuous images.

7. Before and after exercise, before and after applying load or changing posture, the video data of the motor function tissue around the joint at a specific location is saved together with the acquired time data and the input code data. The processing device The status display system of claim 3 compares video data before and after exercise, and before and after applying load or changing posture, to obtain information on changes in elasticity at each location around a specific joint, thereby evaluating through video analysis which part of the motor function tissues, among the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around a joint, is experiencing damage or high load.

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